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Tie Summary

Japan host Korea, Rep. in this Asia/Oceania Zone Group I second round tie, with the winners progressing to the World Group play-offs. This will be the 15th meeting of these two teams and Japan have won 10 of the previous 14. However, all of Korea's victories have come in the last five meetings.

Japan made it through to the second round with a comfortable 5-0 victory over Indonesia. With Indonesia not really competing on the opening day, Japan knew a win in the doubles would see them through. They found themselves two sets to one down, however, and an Indonesian comeback was on the cards. But Tatsuma Ito and Yasutaka Uchiyama fought back, taking the final two sets and, with them, the tie.

Korea reached the second round following a 4-1 victory over India. Korea's task was made considerably easier when the majority of India's top players withdrew from the tie. The only sets they lost all weekend were in the doubles rubber, where they had to face Leander Paes. Apart from that, they were rarely troubled all weekend.